Haunted Nights
by xxPillow
Summary: A mysterious force has been stealing rare and magical artifacts throughout London, and gathering forces rapidly. No one has any clue as to who it is, or why, for that matter. Will Nathaniel and Bartimaeus be able to stop this person? Or die trying?
1. First Encounter, However Brief

Plot: A mysterious force has been stealing rare and magical artifacts throughout London, and gathering forces rapidly. No one has any clue as to who it is, or why, for that matter. Will Nathaniel and Bartimaeus be able to stop this person? Or will they die trying?

**Bartimaeus Trilogy - Haunted Nights**

Disclaimer: I don't own this amazing series in any way, though if I did . . . Well. I'd be a much happier person. I do own Aldijahari, Ellis Darrine, and Alexander Darrine though. So. Erm. Here we go!

Chapter One - First Encounter, However Brief.

xBartimaeusx

I know I've always said that I hated being here, in this dreadful city of London. I've always complained about it, moaned about it, and insulted it in so many ways that I've lost count.(1) But, tonight seemed to be different. It was peaceful, with the light drizzle not too uncommon for the depressing manifestation of buildings and streets, and it had been quite awhile since the last huge heist.

Oh, haven't you heard? I'm working once more for Nat, the poor human. He summoned me about a month ago, because the government can't protect their damn artifacts(2). Yes, that's right! Some idiot magician had found a way to steal rare and powerful artifacts from right under their pathetic little noses. Which means more work for the djinn.

I shifted my black gaze to the east, wondering why I had been stationed near the re-built Pinn's. Yes, Sholto put his store back together, along with some more sophisticated security systems, both magical and human alike. I was quite surprised - it was one of the places that hadn't been hit yet(3).

A majectic bird with ebony feather seemingly sighed, as its head returned to said establishment. Of course, this lovely creature was me, Bartimaeus. As if you hadn't figured that out yet(4). I was perched upon a building directly across from it, shrouded in the shadows. I believe there were about three other djinn scattered about the area, watching various buildings.

I blink as I swore under my breath. The slightest movements with in Pinn's caught my eye, and with an arrogant ruffle of feathers, I swooped down to see what was happening. I could barely see what was going on, when something - or someone? - slipped out from beneath the door in a thin trail of smoke. I watched it glance at me, and was surprised (_almost_), as it seemed to smirk at me(5).

//_You never learn, do you **Bartimaeus**?_// it whispered, the voice of a mysterious female before slipping into the night.

xNathanielx

A young man with dark hair glared at the demon in the opposite pentacle. "How could you simply let it get away!" he hissed, folding his arms in front of him. The young man was pacing slightly in the decent sized pentacle, his black suit clinging to his lanky frame. He was furious, outraged, and truly annoyed with his demon. "Don't get mad at me, I didn't know it was whatever we're looking for!" retorted the being in other pentacle. It looked like a rather annoyed lioness, licking its paw as if it were hurt. "Besides, it didn't seem to have anything with it when it left," the lioness muttered.

Nathaniel sighed, holding his face in his hands for a moment. He was being severely pressured by the rest of the Security Administration, not to mention having Ms. Darrine on his case. Ms. Darrine had taken over the Security Admin about a two months ago, and had - at first - been impressed with him. Then, as more artifacts were taken, she became more sour, and displeased.

"Actually, Bartimaeus, there was something stolen. A simple artifact - the Solar Stone. It supposedly allows the user to gain powers from the sun, when used with the right incantations. No one has ever gotten it to work, so it was agreed to have it hidden away in Pinn's," said the magician, as he glanced at the clock. "You're to go out again tonight, and watch over the museum - you know which one," he muttered, catching the bemused look on the lioness's face. Just for good measure, he said a few formal commands, including the actual name, address, and area of the museum in question.

"Fair enough. Anything else/master/?" asked the lioness, sarcasm dripping in its voice.

"Get going, I've got work to do," muttered the magician, before sending the demon on its way, smirking at the annoyed gasp that had escaped the angry lioness's maw before it disappeared in a small whirl of wind.

xUknownx

"You did a wonderful job, demon. I'm surprised - most would've broken down by now," muttered a slightly amused male voice.

"You under-estimate me, sir," replied a feminine voice from the other pentacle.

The male sighed, brushing a strand of short dark blonde hair behind his ear, as he glanced at the radiant woman across from him. He was actually surprised, though. This demon had fulfilled all of her duties with speed, stealth, and accuracy. It seemed as if the plan would work, leaving him and his sibling with complete and utter control over London.

"You know your objective for this evening, correct?" asked the slender man, wearing a simple dark blue suit. "I do," she replied curtly. The 'demon' had taken the form of a slender young woman with brilliant red hair, and odd markings upon her face, arms, and legs, her only attired being a simple white tank top, and a pair of knee-length shorts. "Would you mind reminding me, so I can be sure that you understand/Alli/?" he asked, smirking at the minor sight of disgust on the demon's face.

"I am to simply find and capture the demon Bartimaeus, correct?" she replied.

The magician laughed, glad that the demon had kept all other signs of annoyance hidden behind that blank, lethal mask of her's.

"Correct. Now, go," he said, turning his back to her.

a/n: And, that's it! I hoped you all enjoyed my first fanfic, and that it wasn't too terrible. Reviews would be great, as well as critiques. So. Um. Yea! -Dija.

* * *

(1) No, seriously. The last time I bothered adding to the list was a little over one million.

(2) Honestly, a djinn would do better at guarding them then you pathetic excuses.

(3) I had thought that Pinn's would've been hit first. I guess not.

(4) I mean, who else could make a /raven/ look majestic?

(5) The last being who smirked at me died an instant later. This one's arrogance caught me off guard.


	2. First Glances Can Be Decieving

The Bartimaeus Trilogy - Haunted Nights

Disclaimer: Still don't own it. And I'm too pathetic to even /try/ to buy it. I do own my three creations, though - Aldijahari, Ellis, and Alexander. Thanks to the known author for the review, too! I want this to be at least three to five chapters, so yea.

Here we go!

**xxChapter Two - First Glances Can Be Decievingxx**

xBartimaeusx

Damn that Nathaniel, and his annoying ways. I can't believe he's still mad at me, because I supposedly messed up by letting that /_thing_/ get away. I still haven't figured out what it was, either, though it seemed to know very well what I was. I'm guessing a djinn, and I have a feeling that it's a pretty high level one, too. My guise this time happens to a simple cat perched beneath an awning, opposite a large, rather depressing looking building(1).

A simple cat indeed, dark reddish brown in color, with bright green eyes. I concentrated on the rear of the building, where they were keeping some old artifacts of possible importance. It was another dreary evening, nearing ten. It was raining, at least not pouring as it had earlier, and I was grateful. My current form normally wouldn't stand the rain, but thought of the Stipples pained my already aching essence(2).

I caught once again that slight shift of the shadow near the back entrance of the museum, just like Pinn's. But this time I wasn't going to let it slip away(3). I jumped down from my awning, and raced with grace across the way, still keeping track of that shadow. I smirked, the maw of the cat jerking upwards slightly, as I sat patiently in front of the back entrance. The shadow didn't seem powerful, or any threat.

//I've been waiting to deal with you, Bartimaeus,// the shadow said, smirking as it changed before his eyes. The cat's jaw dropped for the briefest of moments, before regaining composure. I suppose I was wrong, first glances _can_ be decieving.

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(1) Then again, all buildings look depressing around here.

(2) It had only been a month, but it had been one heck of a long one, mind you.

(3) Not only would dear little Nat kill me, but I couldn't let it get away twice in a row without confrontation.

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xxUnknownxx

The shadow turned into a pale skinned young woman, brilliant red hair falling on narrow shoulders. She had markings all over her, upon her face, arms, and legs. Most of them were black bands, with crescent moon-like markings inside them. Wearing little more than a black tank top, a pair of jeans, and a pair of boots. A smirk rested on her heart-shaped face, which was slightly freckled. Gently curved, and barely taller than five foot four.

"Finally, the real Bartimaeus - yet, you're not what I expected /_little_/ kitten," she said, laughing lightly. The cat frowned, before taking on the form of a dark skinned youth, with dark hair, and deep chocolate brown eyes. The lad was almost two inches taller than her, and was adorned in a simple loincloth. "Who the hell are you, and how the hell do you know me?" asked the demon, too irritated too bother with courtesy, with politeness.

"Such cutting words belittle your already **pathetic** reputation, Bartimaeus," she replied, her voice attaining a sweet edge, belying the darkness of her essence. She rolled light green eyes, soft and innocent, her total opposite. The djinn knew her mission, and was only acting so to enrage the other, in hopes of him chasing after her. She would fight him, weaken him, and capture him.

"Pathetic! I am Sakr-Aljinni, I spoke with Solomon! How _dare_ you speak of me in such a way!" he exclaimed, his voice seething with cold fear. She grinned, seeing the glare in his eyes. This was going much faster than she had expected. "Well, if you want more information besides the fact that my name is _Aldijahari_, I suggest you keep up," she teased, spreading a set of large, black wings, made of metal, gears, cogs. With a nod, and a small wave, she leapt into the air, taking off at an amazing speed, fading into an incandescent spark across the dark, raining sky. "Damn it!" hissed Bartimaeus, trailing after her, a plain looking crow following the disappearing spark of light.

xNathanielx

A young man sighed, as he listened with growing annoyance to Ms. Darrine rattle on, complaining about his incompetence, and other multiple issues. Something about more pressure on her because of his failure. He rolled his eyes, barely paying attention. He was more worried - which was shocking, to say the least - about Bartimaeus. Or, rather, about whether or not he found something at the museum.

"Are you listening to me, _Mr. Mandrake_?" came a slightly shrill voice from somewhere to the left of his desk. He glanced up, nodding, his lanky dark brown hair falling in front of his eyes for a moment, as if he just woke up. "Of course, Ms. Darrine. Please, continue," he replied, the magician obviously disturbed by something. The shrill voice belonged indeed to Ellis Darrine, an accomplished magician, a woman of about thirty, with dark blonde hair and an angular face.

Unusually thin, some within the department wondered if she was possibly anorexic or bulemic. A smirk came upon the young man's mouth as he remembered all the jokes they'd made behind her back. "Mr. Mandrake. I understand you are young, maybe even _immature_, but I would never peg you as a person who disrespected his elders," she said, a smirk of her own residing on her lips. Nathaniel stood up, opening his mouth to protest only to have Ms. Darrine to wave a hand at him. "Go check in with your demon, Mr. Mandrake. Report to my offices within an hour, and tell me of his,_ hopefully_, good news," she finished, leaving the room abruptly.

Nathaniel stood there, an angry look on his normally calm face. How dare she! He sighed, glancing towards the two pentacles, wondering if it would be best to summon Bartimaeus. Perhaps he was onto something, and would be better left alone. He shook his head, dark lockes casting shadows on his handsome face, as he wondered why Ms. Darrine had become so arrogant lately.

xUnknownx

"Alex, are you here?"

"When _aren't_ I here?"

"Point proven."

The siblings smiled at one another, even though both lead very different lives. One was bright, part of the government even, the other dark, working in the shadows to ensure his sister's reign. Together, they truly believed they were unstoppable, and with their two demons, even more powerful. Both were dark blondes, angular-faced, and beautiful creatures. One was thirty, the other twenty nine.

"So, has Mr. Mandrake bent to your will yet?"

"Not yet. I haven't introduced him to Lyra."

"Oh. I see. You plan on using dear little Lyrani as a pawn. _Mother_ wouldn't approve of this."

"Since when did Mother approve of **anything** we do?"

"Point proven."

Le Fin.

a/n: There's chapter two for you. Lyra will be introduced in the next chapter, along with Catteristix. I hope you all enjoy, and reviews are loved. Truly Yours, Dija.


	3. Second Chances Don't Come Often

The Bartimaeus Trilogy - Haunted Nights

Disclaimer: Yep. Still don't own it. Though I'd love fan art of any of my characters. -hint hint- Just kidding. Anyways, I still do own my three characters, soon to be five, Ellis, Alex, Aldijahari, and the newly introduced Lyrani and Catteristix. Thank you for the reviews, too!

**xxChapter Three - Second Chances Don't Come Oftenxx**

xxBartimaeusxx

I thought I would never catch up with that stupid djinni.

But, being the superior being that I am, I did.

To my annoyance, she was sitting there, smirking at me(1), on top of a building on the very outskirts of the city. Again, I noticed how _shadow-like_ she was, how her very essence had a darker aura than most to it. I stood on the other side of the building, shifting to the form of Ptolemy. In my hand I held a single blade, though I believed I was prepared for anything.

I watched her stand up, the large metallic wings glistening out of existance. I wondered why she wasn't **attacking**, why she was being patient. It seemed as if she had all the time in the world. "You could give up now, you know," I muttered, trying to see if I could keep her off the track of trying to kill me(2). I frowned, as I swore I saw grey instead of the pale skin of only minutes ago, if that, before. I stepped forward, wondering why she hadn't moved an inch.

The reason why?

_The djinni had either turned to stone, or I was staring at the oldest trick in the book_.

--------------------------------------

(1) That insolent smirk reminded me of a few certain people.

(2) It would take a heck of a lot to get rid of me, of course.

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xxAldijaharixx

"Tsk, tsk, Bartimaeus. I would've never pegged you for a _fool_," came the sweet voice of the djinn. That smirk rested on her lips, as she pressed the dagger into Bartimaeus's back. "I can't _believe_ the great djinni who spoke with Solomon fell for the old replacement trick," she joked, taking the dagger out of his hand. He lashed back with his elbow, knocking her back, causing both daggers to clatter to the ground.

She hissed, snatching up one dagger, and flickered out of the first three spectrums. He cursed under his breath, as he spun around, looking for her. He spotted her, and darted towards her, sending a small surge of energy at his opponent. She dodged gracefully, and returned fire, though she kept the dagger tightly in her grasp. Bartimaeus attacked once more, matching her every move. He mentally kicked himself as she swung out her leg, knocking him to the ground. In an instant she her knee on his chest, her hands holding his wrists to the ground, sharp nails digging into him. "Give up yet, Barty?" she asked, those green eyes of her's glowing with victory.

"Why do you insist on toying with your prey, _Alli_?" asked a dark voice, the form of a large, muscular creature coming from the shadows. "You know more than anyone that second chances don't come often," he chuckled, obviously mocking her with some old joke. She winced, cursing him under her breath. He had the torso of a man, the head of a large cat, and the lower half of the same cat. His fur - or hair? - was darker than night, with eyes of gold, and a slim tail that flickered back and forth.

"Alli's your nickname? How **human**!" came a voice from beneath Aldijahari. The female djinni rolled her eyes, and swiftly knocked him out, denying him the pleasure of joking with her further, leaving him with the last sight of her almost - almost - sympathetic face. With a sigh, she stood up, pocketing both her dagger, and the one Bartimaeus had been holding. "You know better than to speak of his name for me, _Catty_," she retorted, shouldering the limp form of the lad, before taking off, heading towards the headquarters.

"Fair enough, Alli," laughed 'Catty', as he darted off in the opposite direction, towards his mistress Ellis.

xxNathanielxx

The lad had no idea why the girl, who was maybe a year younger than he was, was organizing his desk - which _had_ become rather unruly in the past few days - or why she was even there in the first place. "Hello, but, may I ask who you are?" The lass glanced up, large light blue eyes blinking, before a smile spread across her lips. She was pale, as most Londoners were, with short, dark brown hair clipped back with black clips. "Pardon me, Mr. Mandrake. I am Lyrani Arriden, your new secretary," she apologized, her voice softer than most.

"Ah, I see. Carry on then, Miss Arriden," he replied, sitting at his desk. Carry on she did, in a manner most familiar to him. He glanced up at her, wondering why she seemed so familiar. "Do you perhaps know Miss Piper?" he asked casually, reading some reports from the manilla folder on his now decent desk. Lyrani stopped, dusting off the plain dark blue top she wore, matching the lengthy skirt that almost covered the black dress shoes. The only interesting piece of her ensemble was the black choker with the crystalline orb dangling from it.

"Of course - she's like a sister to me, Mr. Mandrake," replied the lass cheerfully, as she continued work.

"Oh. Well. Erm. Give her my compliments and best wishes then, would you?"

"Of course, Mr. Mandrake."

xxThe Darrines, Alexander and Ellisxx

"Alex, I believe your demon has returned."

"Really, Elli?"

"Yes. She also has that demon you sent her to hunt."

"Perfect."

The pair of siblings waited patiently, as the redheaded djinni entered the room, a _still_ unconcious Bartimaeus in her arms. The djinni from earlier, the one who resembled a cat, followed a moment later, grinning from ear to ear. "So, Alli. I see you've captured Bartimaeus," muttered the male human, tapping long fingers for a moment on his desk. "Yes, sir. Shall I place him in one of the holding chambers?" she asked, her face blanker than a sheet of paper. "Indeed. After that, you are dismissed for the rest of the evening, and the day tomorrow. Report here at eight o clock p.m. tomorrow night. Understood?" he asked, glancing at her.

"Yes sir."

"Very well, you may leave, Alli."

Ellis glanced at her own demon, Catteristix.

"I assume you delievered Lyra, correct?"

"Yes, madame, as you directed."

"Good. You left her with the crystal, and Gillir, right?"

"Yes, madame."

"Take your leave. Report in tomorrow morning, in the office."

"Yes, madame."

The djinni bowed, before glaring at Aldijahari, and left.

The other djiini left promptly, carrying Bartimaeus with her.

xxAldijaharixx

The djinni sighed, as she placed Bartimaeus in the holding chamber, and sealed it, making it fool-proof, which was obvious when it came to a djinni like him. Leaving him behind, she went to the south tower of the large, old manision-esque building, where she often sat during her '_free time_'. Her green eyes still glowed softly, this time with sadness. She truly enjoyed battle, but only on her terms, and with no interruptions.

She dangled her legs out the window, the cool air rushing to meet her. Her hands clenched his dagger tightly, hoping beyond hope that they'd both live another day, to make it back home, back to the Other Place. As Catteristix had said, she** knew** how second chances worked. They didn't come often, and when they did, they _rarely_ were worth taking.

Which explained why she was still here, capturing her own kind, and working for the man she had once sworn to kill.

Fin.

a/n: Chapter three is, well, obviously finished. I'm sorry it was so long. Forgive me. This should be all the characters, unless I decide to bring Miss Piper in, and maybe Kitty. And, review! Without them, I feel as if my work isn't work my time. -le sigh- Always Yours, Dija.


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